The oft-maligned tradition of re-gifting is
being re-packaged in some circles as a practice that’s less lazy and cheap than
it is responsible.

As the holidays approach and the economy and
unemployment numbers still look less than stellar, finding ways of giving
without breaking the bank is a pursuit that some are taking seriously. In fact,
a National
Re-gifting Day has been declared by the
creators of a website, Regiftable.com, devoted to
passing along your unused treasures. They suggest the third Thursday of
December as the new national “holiday” since it’s a common day for holiday
office parties. According to their research, four in 10 re-gifters target
coworkers as recipients.

“In case you are hesitant to break
tradition,” the site insists, “you can rest assured that the majority (60%) of
people think that re-gifting is becoming more accepted.” In fact, while 25
percent believe it is more accepted as a way to save money, 14 percent even regard
it as a method of recycling. And you might remember our post-holiday report from last year, which included the surprising statistic that 68% of Americans
had either already done or were considering re-gifting.

More recently, a new poll conducted by
Ketchum Global Research for Liberty Mutual and the Responsibility Project revealed
similar numbers: 61 percent of respondents said re-gifting is socially
acceptable. And surprisingly enough, higher income households were more likely
to say they had re-gifted than lower income households. The “2010 Responsible
Gift Giving Survey” also found that more than one in five adults who said that
re-gifting is not socially acceptable had actually done it anyway.

As the holidays approach, should you still
cringe at the idea of giving away those adorable two-sizes-too-small slippers
that Aunt Em gave you last Christmas, consider this article, which
assures readers that re-gifting has even been sanctioned by etiquette expert
Peggy Post, though “…the gift must be brand new and it can’t be something the
original giver took great pains to select.” And if you’re still unclear on the
subtleties of the re-gift, the folks at Regiftable have even composed a primer on the subject.

Have a good re-gifting story or technique?
Share it here. More importantly, is it responsible…or in bad taste?

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Liberty Mutual Insurance is a provider of auto, home, and life insurance for consumers, as well as risk and disability products and services for businesses. Because responsibility is integral to who we are, we also support a range of community service programs around issues like fire safety and responsible sports. Through the Liberty Mutual Foundation, we make grants to organizations that show low-income students a path to lifelong success through education, and agencies that provide immediate basic health and human services to the needy.